Jacob Porat

Born in Poland, Jacob Porat came to Israel at the age of 14. Studied music and violin playing at "Shulamit" conservatory in Tel Aviv. Holds first degree in Hebrew Literature and Bible Studies and second degree in Comparative Literature, both from Tel-Aviv University. Studied Art, Painting and art printing in Avni institute in Tel Aviv. For many years taught literature and bible to high school students. Porat is involved in painting, literature and music, which either apart or taken together, inevitably fertilize one another. Jacob Porat is member of Israel's Painters and Sculptors Association and has a studio in Jaffa.
Jacob Porat is distinguished by his search for different, various forms of expression. The exhibitions he has held throughout the years expose the constant and changing elements of his works in all possible aspects: techniques, compositions, and themes. Although evident in his work, his literary education does not make his paintings an illustration of literary writings. Rather, it serves as the driving force of the painting, an enabler of deeper expression and intricacy of the visual statement. Porat’s paintings have a life of their own, and these lives have been an integral part of his works since he has begun painting to date. His works in general, and “Conversations with Kafka” in particular, strike a correct balance between the “painting instinct”, which is based on intuition and talent and the intellect that is aware of itself and of the literary interpretation of themes.
Porat’s continuous pursuit is associated with his unsteady, difficult and diverse childhood, his search for Jewish and Israeli identity, his assimilation of past events and family history, as well as of Israeli present and society and his place in them. His standing within several artistic branches – painting, literature, music, and photography – allows him to assemble the special of each, creating a unity of contradictions (Prof. Nurit Govrin, Tel Aviv University).